Episode 183: How to Set Up a Rotation/The DH of the Future/Batting Stanton Leadoff/Pitchers and Handwarmers/Quad-A Hitters
Date April 17, 2013 Summary Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the future of the DH role, whether teams rest starters in games they expect to lose, whether it makes sense to bat Giancarlo Stanton leadoff, and more. Topics * Resting starters and pitcher matchups * Future of the DH * Giancarlo Stanton lineup position * Pitcher hand warmers Intro Wind chime sound clip Email Questions * Allen: "Pertaining to the Rangers and Nationals, opening day was on the road versus the two worst teams in baseball. Considering the huge series following, why didn't each respective team start their rotations out with their number three? Today we would have had Darvish vs. the Angels and Strasburg vs. Cincinnati." * Timothy: "I went to a Mariners game and saw Elvis Andrus playing DH. I asked myself a question, 'Are the days of David Ortiz and Jim Thome over? Are the days of the later stages of Carl Everett's career over? Are there no more professional DHs? Is the DH slot now just a chance to sneak an extra position player on the roster and delegate the odd rest day from one player to the next by relieving them of their responsibility of playing the field one day ever two weeks?" * Ken: "I listened to your Stanton podcast today and it made me wonder: would there be any benefit to batting Stanton in the leadoff position? There seems to be a particular emphasis on throwing strikes to a leadoff hitter, and this might be the spot get the most out of Stanton the hitter given the strength of the current lineup. It might mean more strikes to swing at it and might force him to be a bit more selective." * Chris: "I was watching the Tigers/Blue Jays game and it was 35 degrees in Detroit. Both Josh Johnson and Doug Fister fought the cold early on, barely warming their hands between pitches and in the dugout. It got me thinking, quarterbacks everywhere wear hand warmers around their waist to fight the cold when not in action. Why isn't there a secure light weight equivalent for pitchers? I can imagine it could hypothetically get in the way of your mechanics but I have to think that a loose, warm pitching hand outweighs the cost." * Dayne: "I am a big Royals fan and I am frustrated by the number of AAAA players that Kansas City seems to "develop". Most recently Johnny Giavotella. Are there any statistical ways to identify AAAA players? Are there any organizations that are particularly good at identifying AAAA players before they arrive to the bigs?" Notes * Ben & Sam think that baseball is not predictable enough to consistently make sit/start decisions based on the quality of opponent. * Ben references the DH/Billy Butler discussion from Episode 94. * Ken's question references the discussion from Episode 182. Links * Effectively Wild Episode 183: How to Set Up a Rotation/The DH of the Future/Batting Stanton Leadoff/Pitchers and Handwarmers/Quad-A Hitters Category:Email Episodes Category:Episodes